Sometimes referred to as "The Holy Trinity" among board-game societies. These are one of the oldest strategic one-on-one board-games known in history. Although with some adaptions they have remained relatively constant in gameplay up to day. Chess, Go and Backgammon are held in high rank when it comes to competitive board-gaming. The trinity has stayed same for a long time.

20th century and even 21th has give us way more board-games than any of us can ever even play just once. Even if we limit ourselves to strategy category - we end up with way too broad category. I have been wondering is there any board-game that might or is slowly moving towards our Grand board-games and would be deemed equally competitive, complex and recognized by the community.

What I can think of is Scrabbles and Arimaa. Scrabbles popularity is uncontested, but its complexity lies mostly in language, and its not played that competitively. Arimaa on the other hand is sort of chess variant and might not be unique enough to be that popular, but still diverse enough to be regarded as different game. Yet not played that competitively.

When it comes to Chess and Go, its not just playing your opponent, you also have to play the board and yourself which makes it complex; Backgammon has also uncertainty and risk element built in. Thats what makes those games beautiful and simplistically unique.

Give your thoughts on competitive 1v1 board-games. Whats your choice of game? And let me know if you think something is going to gain popularity among traditional games and might be played in future competitively.

Edited 9/13/2017 19:23:01

Cluedo

@Rikku

Well its a social game. Very popular and quite successful in marketing. So many copies of it. Cant even keep track on them. But I doubt anyone sees that competitive by real standards, though its fun.

I have leaved out card games as well. No doubt that Poker, Blackjack and Contract Bridge is held in high regard by lot of players, but they are too much chance games.

Similarly who does not know Monopoly and most of us have probably played it. But its not classical board-game. Just a variant of dice game with more complex board than simple "Around the world".

I would divide tiles-and-pieces games into one category. There are infinite possibilities of chess variants, and whole different games that are essentially chess variants.

Mouse Trap

Programming AI to fight each other in all kinds of game are one of the most deeply-plotting things you can do, it's popular from all games from Doom to Arimaa.

Settler of Catan pls

Online Risk

Removing the cross from the chess piece is a priority.

Muslims believe in Christ don't they?

Muslims believe in the prophets of Allaah, and Jesus Christ is one of the prophets of Allaah, so yes. But Muslims believe that Jesus - peace be upon him - was not crucified, they believe that one of the companions of Jesus Christ got crucified.

But what about KAHOOT?!

there is a worry among high-level chess players that chess is becoming a "solved" game, with less possibilities for opponents to win or lose. the lines have been studied so thoroughly with computer programs that 21st century high-level play produces an undesirable number of stalemates.

one possible solution is the standardization of more complex chess variants